SUMMONS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

summons 1 of 2

noun

ˈsə-mənz

Definition of summons

as in warrant

a written notice ordering a person to appear in court if you ignore a court summons, you will be fined

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summons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of summon

as in calls

to demand or request the presence or service of without explanation, the managing editor summoned me to his office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in gathers

to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers managed to summon a bright smile despite the gloomy day

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as in musters

to bring together in assembly by or as if by command summoned a special session of parliament

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of summons

Noun

Thirteen others were released with criminal court summonses. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 Forty-one people were issued criminal court summonses, according to police. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 13 June 2026

Verb

Favreau’s work is clearly indebted to that lineage, and Grogu’s solo jaunt actually summons a bit of whimsy that was otherwise missing. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 In an attempt to regain her powers, Lucia accidentally summons a cosmic entity known as Altair. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for summons

Recent Examples of Synonyms for summons

Noun

An Interpol arrest warrant has been issued for 39-year-old Anastasiia Berezovsk.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Police charged Mayra Castenada with felony death by vehicle, reckless driving to endanger, speeding and driving without a North Carolina license, according to the warrant.

— Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026

Definition of warrant

Verb

Part of the Splash Jelly Drop collection, Tory Burch’s Mini Romy reworks one of the brand’s signature shapes into a bright aquatic blue that immediately calls to mind swimming pools and cloudless skies.

— Sanika Achrekar, Glamour, 2 July 2026
If a street preacher shouts their sermon into a bullhorn on a public street, and a nearby business owner calls the police, who is in the right?

— Emily Holshouser July 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026

Definition of calls

Verb

America's 250th birthday is bringing on an unprecedented celebration as the nation gathers to mark the semiquincentennial of the United States.

— Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive‘s news roundup that gathers the biggest automotive headlines from around the globe.

— Adam Ismail, The Drive, 1 July 2026

Definition of gathers

Verb

With unwavering resolve, Salvador musters an eclectic band of misfit street kids, led by the spirited Belén, to challenge the unyielding threads of destiny and protect Carmen from inevitable doom.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026
Within the current dynamics of the War Powers Resolution, until Congress musters bipartisan supermajorities to connect its own institutional ambition with constitutional power, presidents from either party will decide alone if, and when, the country goes to war.

— Jasmine Farrier, The Conversation, 1 May 2026

Definition of musters

Verb

Meneghetti invites guests to slow down, relax, be present in their surroundings, and experience something genuine and understated rather than staged—the very essence of Istria.

— Tia Lovisa Moreira, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026
The area’s compact scale invites a leisurely stroll or bike ride.

— Midwest Living, Midwest Living, 1 July 2026

Definition of invites

Verb

An employee assembles a long-range drone in a workshop of the Fire Point company which manufactures FP-1 deep-strike drones and FP-2 strike drones in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on January 29, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 7 July 2026
In terms of overall quality, the movie the player assembles out of that 652-page framework isn’t bad!

— Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026

Definition of assembles

Noun

Nothing can prepare you for the album art writ large on the inside flap, but the lavish haircut photos galore and commentary from folks like producer Bob Rock and then-bassist Jason Newsted are illuminating.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026
History is writ so large and Larry writes so small that the juxtaposition tickled him.

— Peter White, Deadline, 26 June 2026

Definition of writ

Browse Nearby Words

summoning

summons

summonses

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Style

“Summons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summons. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of summons

noun

verb

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